Coated canine biscuits and preparation process

Abstract

A coated, baked canine biscuit having enhanced palatability. The edible coating includes: (a) about 20 to about 40 weight percent of at least one dextrin or at least one maltodextrin; (b) about 0.2 to about 2 weight percent of at least one edible acidulent; (c) about 0.1 to about 1 weight percent of at least one edible antimycotic agent; (d) about 0.5 to about 5 weight percent of lecithin or at least one modified lecithin; (e) about 0.3 to about 5 weight percent of at least one polysaccharide gum; (f) about 1 to about 10 weight percent of at least one flavorant; (g) about 1 to about 10 weight percent of at least one food starch or at least one modified food starch; (h) about 1 to about 10 weight percent of vegetable fat; (i) about 30 to about 70 weight percent of meat solids; and (j) about 3 to about 16 weight percent of animal fat. All of the weight percents are based on the total weight of the dried coating minus the moisture content thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A coated, baked canine biscuit, the edible coating comprising: (a) about 20 to about 40 weight percent of at least one dextrin or at least one maltodextrin;   (b) about 0.2 to about 2 weight percent of citric acid;   (c) about 0.1 to about 1 weight percent of at least one edible antimycotic agent;   (d) about 0.5 to about 5 weight percent of lecithin or at least one modified lecithin;   (e) about 0.3 to about 5 weight percent of at least one polysaccharide gum;   (f) about 1 to about 10 weight percent of at least one flavorant;   (g) about 1 to about 10 weight percent of at least one member selected from the group consisting of food starches and modified food starches;   (h) about 1 to about 10 weight percent of vegetable fat;   (i) about 30 to about 70 weight percent of a dry composition comprising meat solids; and   (j) about 3 to about 16 weight percent of animal fat; all of the above-mentioned weight percents being based on the total weight of the dried coating minus the moisture content thereof,   said coated biscuit having a hard, coherent coating and a moisture content of less than or equal to about 13% by weight and a water activity of less than or equal to about 0.7.   
     
     
       2. The coated, baked canine biscuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the meat solids composition comprises at least one dried meat by-product digest, at least one meat in particulate form and brewer's yeast. 
     
     
       3. The coated, baked canine biscuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the baked canine biscuit is bone shaped. 
     
     
       4. The coated, baked canine biscuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein baked canine biscuit is about 90 to about 99 weight percent, based on the total weight of the coated, baked canine biscuit, and the coating is about 1 to about 10 weight percent, based on the total weight of the coated, baked canine biscuit. 
     
     
       5. The coated baked canine biscuit of claim 1 wherein the coating comprises: (a) about 20 to about 40 weight percent of maltodextrin;   (b) about 0.2 to about 2 weight percent of citric acid provided that sufficient citric acid is present to provide the coating with a pH of 6 or less;   (c) about 0.1 to about 1 weight percent of potassium sorbate;   (d) about 0.5 to about 5 weight percent of lecithin;   (e) about 0.3 to about 5 weight percent of xanthan   (f) about 1 to about 10 weight percent of sodium chloride;   (g) about 1 to about 10 weight percent of a modified corn starch;   (h) about 1 to about 10 weight percent of vegetable fat;   (i) about 30 to about 70 weight percent of spray dried poultry by-product digest, beef particles and brewer's yeast; and   (j) about 3 to about 16 weight percent of animal fat; all of the above-mentioned weight percents being based on the total weight of the dried coating minus the moisture content thereof.   
     
     
       6. A process of preparing a coated, baked canine biscuit, the process comprising: (I) preparing a liquefied coating composition which comprises:   (1) admixing about 40 to 80 weight percent, based on the total weight of the liquefied coating composition, of water, and about 15 to about 59.5 weight percent, based on the total weight of the liquefied coating composition, of a dry mix, the dry mix comprising:   (A) about 20 to about 40 weight percent of at least one dextrin or at least one maltodextrin;   (B) about 0.2 to about 2 weight percent of citric acid;   (C) about 0.1 to about 1 weight percent of at least one edible antimycotic agent;   (D) about 0.5 to about 5 weight percent of lecithin or at least one modified lecithin;   (E) about 0.3 to about 5 weight percent of at least one polysaccharide gum;   (F) about 1 to about 10 weight percent of at least one flavorant;   (G) about 1 to about 10 weight percent of at least one member selected from the group consisting of food starches and modified food starches;   (H) about 1 to about 10 weight percent of vegetable fat; and   (I) about 30 to about 70 weight percent of a dry composition comprising meat solids, all of the weight percents in (A) to (I) being based on the total weight of the dry ingredients (A) to (I) to form an aqueous mixture; and   (2) admixing about 0.2 to about 8 weight percent, based on the total weight of the liquefied coating composition, of animal fat with said aqueous mixture to form the liquefied coating composition; (II) coating the liquefied coating composition on a baked canine biscuit; and   (III) drying the coated, baked canine biscuit to obtain a hard, coherent coating and a moisture content of less than or equal to about 13% by weight and a water activity of less than or equal to about 0.7, the coated, baked canine biscuit containing about 1 to about 10 weight percent, based on the total weight of the coated, baked canine biscuit, of the coating.   
     
     
       7. The process as claimed in claim 6 wherein the liquefied coating composition is prepared in a first heated tank, the contents of the first tank are moved to a second heated tank and then to a heated dipping tank to fill the dipping tank and as needed therein, further liquefied coating solution is prepared in the first heated tank, and the contents of the first heated tank are moved to the second heated tank as needed. 
     
     
       8. The process as claimed in claim 6 wherein the meat solids composition comprises at least one dried meat by-product digest, at least one meat in particulate form and brewer's yeast. 
     
     
       9. The process as claimed in claim 6 wherein the baked canine biscuit is bone shaped. 
     
     
       10. The process as claimed in claim 6 wherein the baked canine biscuit is dipped in the liquefied coating composition to apply the liquefied coating composition to the baked canine biscuit. 
     
     
       11. A liquefied coating composition which comprises in admixture: (A) about 40 to 80 weight percent, based on the total weight of the liquefied coating composition, of water:   (B) about 15 to about 59.8 weight percent, based on the total weight of the liquefied coating composition, of a dry mix, the dry mix comprising:   (a) about 20 to about 40 weight percent of at least one dextrin or at least one maltodextrin;   (b) about 0.2 to about 2 weight percent of citric acid;   (c) about 0.1 to about 1 weight percent of at least one edible antimycotic agent;   (d) about 0.5 to about 5 weight percent of lecithin or at least one modified lecithin;   (e) about 0.3 to about 5 weight percent of at least one polysaccharide gum;   (f) about 1 to about 10 weight percent of at least one flavorant;   (g) about 1 to about 10 weight percent of at least one member selected from the group consisting of food starches and modified food starches;   (h) about 1 to about 10 weight percent of vegetable fat; and   (i) about 30 to about 70 weight percent of a dry composition comprising meat solids,   all of the weight percents in (a) to (i) being based on the total weight of the dry ingredients (a) to (i); and   (C) about 0.2 to about 8 weight percent, based on the total weight of the liquefied coating solution, of animal fat,   said liquefied coating composition forming a hard coherent coating on the canine biscuits upon drying the liquefied courting composition.   
     
     
       12. A method for the production of coated canine biscuits comprising: (a) preparing an aqueous-based coating composition comprising at least one dextrin or maltodextrin, lecithin or modified lecithin, an antimycotic, meat solids, and citric acid, the amount of the citric acid being sufficient to reduce the pH of the coating composition to less than 6 to prolong microbial stability of the coating composition during production of the coated canine biscuits and to substantially enhance palatability of the coated canine biscuits,   (b) transferring the aqueous-based coating composition to a dipping apparatus equipped with counterrrotating continuous belts which pass through the coating composition within the dipping apparatus,   (c) dipping canine biscuits into the coating composition to coat the biscuits with the aqueous-based coating composition by conveying them between said counterrotating belts; and   (d) drying the coated biscuits to obtain a hard, coherent coating and a moisture content of less than or equal to about 13% by weight and a water activity of less than or equal to about 0.7.